Topic
Buying guide
27 articles
Running a repeat packaging programme: specifications, call-offs and lead times
What to lock in a repeat corrugated programme, how call-offs and forecasts work, and the drift that turns a stable line into a complaint two years later.
Tamper-evident packaging without extra labels: closures that do the job
What tamper evidence actually means, why a security label is the weakest version of it, and the closures that show interference without a second operation.
Wholesale cardboard boxes: stocking a range that actually sells through
How to build a wholesale corrugated range that turns over: which sizes earn space, where stock ties up cash, and when to stop stocking and start specifying.
Packaging EPR for distributors: who reports what, and where corrugated sits
The thresholds that make a business obligated, which activity catches a distributor, what corrugated costs per tonne, and why that is not the same as per pack.
Wine shipping boxes: dividers, fitments and packs that survive the courier
How multi-bottle wine shippers are specified: divider design, base protection, board grade, the drop that actually breaks glass, and testing before you commit.
FSDUs: what makes a cardboard display unit work in store
What separates a free-standing display unit that sells from one that sags: load path, footprint, assembly time, print and the lead times a promotion needs.
Die-cut or standard style: when custom tooling is worth the outlay
What a cutting forme costs you, what die-cutting buys that a slotted case cannot, and how to work out the run length where custom tooling starts to pay.
Edge crush and box compression: what the test numbers mean for stacking
What edge crush figures measure, how they relate to box compression strength, and why humidity and stacking pattern decide whether a pack holds up.
Wine and spirits gift boxes: presentation packs that still ship safely
How to specify a wine or spirits gift box that presents well and survives a courier: formats, fitments, board, print and the lead times Christmas demands.
Subscription box packaging: unboxing that survives the post
How to specify a subscription box that still looks right after the courier: format, board, inserts, inside print, reseal strips and consistent repeat supply.
Plastic packaging tax: what it means when customers switch to corrugated
How UK plastic packaging tax works, when a pack counts as plastic, and what actually changes for distributors whose customers move from plastic to corrugated.
Book wraps: specifying a crease pattern that covers a whole product range
How multi-depth book wraps work, how to choose crease positions that cover a range of product heights, and how to size a wrap to the carrier band you want.
Cardboard trays for drinks: stacking, handling and retail-ready formats
Corrugated tray formats for cans and bottles: tray and hood, shrink-ready trays, hand holes, dividers, stacking strength and print for retail display.
Bespoke cardboard boxes: what actually drives the unit price
What moves the price of a bespoke corrugated box: blank area, board grade, run length, tooling, print colours and how efficiently the pack ships and stores.
Packaging for e-commerce: design for the packing bench, not the sample table
How e-commerce packs earn their keep: seconds per pack at the bench, carrier size bands, damage rates and the void fill a right-sized box removes.
Recyclable packaging: why corrugated leads and where it can fall down
Why corrugated is the most recycled transit packaging in the UK, what takes a box out of the loop, and how to specify packs that stay recyclable.
Custom printed boxes: choosing between flexo, digital and litho-laminated print
What each print method does well on corrugated board, how run length and artwork decide the choice, and what to supply to get it right first time.
0427 mailer boxes: sizing to carrier bands and getting the closure right
How carrier size bands drive the cost of an e-commerce mailer, why board thickness matters when designing to a band, and the closure options on a 0427.
Crash-lock boxes: when an auto-lock base pays for itself on the bench
How a crash-lock base differs from a taped case, where the labour saving is real, where it is not, and how to work out the answer for your own line.
Custom advent calendar boxes: packaging for coffee, cosmetics and retail brands
How custom advent calendar boxes are built, from the outer box to the inner compartments, which products suit them, and how to choose between digital, flexo and litho-laminated print.
Bottle carriers for drinks brands: formats, board and print for retail and multipacks
The main cardboard bottle carrier formats, carton board versus corrugated for glass, the details that stop handles tearing, and how to brief one.
Corrugated board grades explained: flutes, single and double wall, paper weights
What a board grade describes, how flute and wall options compare, how liner and fluting papers are specified, and how to choose without over-specifying.
The 0201 explained: sizing, board and flap options for the workhorse case
How the FEFCO 0201 is built, how to specify it correctly, the flap variants worth knowing, and when to step up to a different style.
How to measure a box: internal vs external dimensions and why it matters
The convention for stating box dimensions, how to measure a product for a new box, what board thickness adds, and the mistakes that cause misfits.
Shelf ready packaging: what retailers actually require from a case
The functional requirements behind shelf ready packaging, the formats that meet them, and the structural details that decide whether a case works in store.
FEFCO codes explained: a buyer's guide to the styles distributors sell most
What the four-digit FEFCO code actually tells you, how the 0201, 0427 and 0801 differ, and how to use the code to brief a corrugated manufacturer accurately.
How to brief a corrugated manufacturer: the specification every quote needs
The six pieces of information that let a corrugated manufacturer price accurately first time, and the common gaps that slow quotes down.
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